


Crowns of Flowers, Crowns of Love

by moonsamurai



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Flowers!, Gen, a hint of bittersweet, first time i've written something this happy, fluff for once, happy exchange!, i'll try and keep up the trend! :D
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:33:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23960002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonsamurai/pseuds/moonsamurai
Summary: Twilight wove crowns of flowers, hues mixing and matching to form a simple tale.They brightened up a faded world, his faded world, just a touch.He showed Legend how he made his world just a little bit better.
Relationships: Legend & Twilight (Linked Universe)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 137





	Crowns of Flowers, Crowns of Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [neonkorok](https://archiveofourown.org/users/neonkorok/gifts).



> I let them be happy for once!! :D
> 
> happy exchange theo!

Link loved flowers.

He liked watching them sway in the breeze, the colors brightening the world just a little more, a little at a time. Plus, they were useful, and they were pretty.

He liked weaving the colors into crowns-- red, blues, greens, hues of all kinds. 

He didn’t wear them that often-- he either left them around or gave them to others, like his friends and family back in Ordon. 

They seemed to like it, and he’d teach them.

Sometimes, he’d sit in the spring for hours on end, tying together flowers to create little wreaths of color. 

He’d watch as the crowns bobbed up and down in the sacred spring, adding a bit more life to his world. 

It was nice.

He didn’t stop after his journey started, nor ended, no. He’d pick flowers every once in a while after Midna warmed up to him a little. They’d sit together in camp somewhere on Hyrule Field and she’d watch as he crafted a flower crown.

He once made one for her, made of oranges, reds, and golds that reflected the sunset before the twilight, and placed it around her head, around the stone, and smiled at her.

“Now you have your own crown. A crown befitting of a princess.”

He’d said that jokingly before, but he never saw her get rid of it. 

  
  
  
  


And then she left.

  
  
  
  


Link had watched her leave through the mirror as it shattered. He watched as the shards flew out, almost distentagrating immediately.

In the midst of the broken portal, he’d watched as flowers floated to the ground.

Green, red, orange, blue, woven into a messy, yet intricate crown.

_ “Thanks, Link. Here’s your crown-- a crown fit for a king.” _

And he had placed it upon his own head and wore it with pride, with sadness. 

He’d stopped making crowns after that.

He missed her a lot during those days, staring at the crown he placed on the window sill. Even when they withered away.

He went out and picked flowers, but it never was truly the same. He couldn’t weave them into his crowns, he couldn’t put the colors together, and he couldn’t tell  _ why. _

“Like this,” Ilia had told him gently as they sat in the spring one day, holding their flowers together. “Tie the stems together, just like this. You can do this- you’ve done it before.”

But he couldn’t.

His hands shook as he tried to tie them together, like Ilia showed him- like he had done it in the past. 

The flowers slipped to the ground.

He sat there with Ilia at his side that day, trying to hold back his tears. He missed her.

A lot.

Why couldn’t he do this? It was so simple. 

It was  _ supposed _ to be simple.

“I’m sorry.”

  
  
  
  


Then came the day he met the group.

He had been riding through Hyrule Field on Epona for ‘old time’s sake’ that day, admiring nature and having a good day, mostly.

“It’s nice, huh?” he had whispered to himself, stroking his horse’s back. 

He smiled wistfully, and it was almost peaceful. 

Peaceful, he had thought. It was nice like this. He could spend his days like this.

Of course, the goddesses chose that exact moment to screw with him.

The loud cry of a bokoblin had interrupted his view, and he was almost immediately surrounded. 

And even he knew he was outnumbered.

“And damn it all if I go down without a fight…” 

So he fought.

He slashed and spun, cutting down one after another, dodging and shielding until his last breaths.

And then he got pushed in.

He didn’t understand what happened- one moment he was on the ground, hacking away at enemies, Epona slamming into bokos behind him. The next moment, he was falling.

Falling through the darkness, the murkiness swirling around him and dragging him down further deep. He couldn’t see anything, he couldn’t feel, it was all that he could do to stop himself from drowning in the black.

It might’ve been thirty seconds, a minute, maybe even two, as he fought to breathe, when light streamed in through a crack.

There were a few voices outside, all vaguely… similar to his. They were all muffled and choppy, and he could only catch a few words. 

“Us-- just… hero…”

That was an interesting word.

_ Hero. _

That was who he was supposed to be, wasn’t it? An idolized hero, who countless knights aspired to be like.

He was supposed to be a hero.

He smiled grimly, reaching for the crack of white in the black, praying that whoever was beyond didn’t try and attack him.

He stepped outside.

“Another one? How many heroes  _ are _ there?” 

“Nine of us, huh?”

“I’m honestly half expecting another to just… pop out anywhere.”

Link stared, blinked, and looked away.

“Who-”

“Is your name Link?”

“...Yes?”

“Oh my goddesses--”

It was then Link had realized they were just like him. Heroes.

He had watched them carefully as they bounced nicknames around one by one, others asking for specific names, like Four.

And he had ended up as Twilight.

It was almost fitting, he had mused to himself. What a nice name, he had thought.

That was the day they had begun traveling together through countless worlds he hadn’t even known existed. 

Of course he hadn’t, he had laughed to himself silently. 

It hadn’t been all that serious- they were just looking around for clues to see what had gotten them there. They had been messing around and learning more about each other (more like prying each other for secrets) when Twilight saw something--

A flower.

An innocent white one at the side of the road, blue blooming from the inside caught his eyes almost immediately. 

“Oh, that’s a Silent Princess,” the one dubbed Wild had whispered to him, pointing at the white flower. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

He had nodded quietly, stepping out of the group for a second to pick it up, turning it in his hand and admiring the beauty of its simplicity.

“Oi, Twilight, c’mon!” 

“Yeah, yeah.”

He had carried the flower for the rest of the day, his hands itching to do something with it. To create crowns once more.

He didn’t know why. He just… thought it’d be nice to try.

All through the day he snatched up flowers and pressed them into his pack gently, as not to damage them. He would try again with what he found.

He gathered pale blues, whites, even reds, and headed back to the others.

And so when they set up camp, he finished dinner and slipped away like a shadow, the Silent Princess in his hands.

He found a nice, secluded spot, a little far from the camp. Perfect.

He hummed to himself, sliding down to the ground next to a tree.

He took out the flowers he had picked during the day and set them on his lap.

“One. Two. Three. Four.”

His hands moved slowly, trying to remember the movements of creating a crown.

He wove.

“One. Over two. Under three. Next to four.”

Slowly but surely, he put together a story with flowers, entwining red and blues together, adding in whites at the side, looping colors over and under, until he was looking at a flower crown.

He smiled at his handiwork. 

His faded world seemed to brighten just a little more.

With a small smile, his first genuine one in ages, he tied the last flower to the crown-- the Silent Princess.

  
  


  
  


  
  


“So then, I jumped--”

“Of course you did--”   
  


“Are you going to let me continue my story or not?!”

Twilight snorted at Wild’s indignant response, setting his empty bowl aside. 

_ “Why _ in the name of Hylia did you jump of a fucking cliff?!”

“It was for experimental purposes!!”

He couldn’t help but laugh as the others joined in on questioning Wild and his chaotic endeavours. 

“So like- after I did that, I thought, wouldn’t it be a good idea to use Revali’s Ga--”

“I’m gonna go on a walk,” Twilight interrupted quickly, an exasperated smile on his face. “I’ll be back in a few hours or so.”

“Yeah, yeah, have fun,” Wild snickered, waving Twilight off. “He knows how the story ends, he already knows what’s gonna happen.”

“And I’d spoil it all right now, but--”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“I’m off, I’m off.”

Twilight hummed a short tune as he stood up and dusted himself off, slipping away to find a quieter spot.

A bit of walking, pausing, and looking around later, he found himself in a clearing in the forest- he was almost completely isolated, his only company being a few flowers that grew around the trees that formed almost a ring around the area.

It was nice. He could get used to this.

He sat down next to a tree in the middle and unclipped his pouch. 

Humming an old song he knew from Ordon, he took out the flowers he’d picked along the way, along with all of the other ones he saved often, and examined each of them again.

Twilight set to the task of splitting the flowers into a few groups. Soon enough, he finished up, with eight groups of flowers.

He nodded in satisfaction and placed the extra flowers in his pack again, tossing it to the side gently. 

“Let’s see…”

He picked up the leftmost group of flowers, starting to put them together, to craft a crown for Time.

Pink, yellow, blue-- one by one, he created a crown. 

“That one’s nice.”

“What the fu--”

Twilight startled, scrambling up and reaching for his sword.

“Legend, holy shit--”

“Did I really scare you that much?”

Legend laughed, his face poking out from behind the tree. He revealed himself completely and plopped down next to Twilight, taking in the bunches of flowers.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m making flower crowns.”

“Huh.”

Legend fell silent as Twilight picked up the one in the center. 

Pink, white, purple, black, and blue, with a Silent Princess topping it. 

“Genderfluid… Wild?”

“Mhmm. The Silent Princess might’ve given it away too.”

“Yeah?”   
  
Twilight smiled gently and started up again, aware of Legend watching him entwine the colors together into a wreath of flowers.

“There,” Twilight said when he finished, tying the last knot. “That’s Wild’s.”

“...Wow. That’s… pretty good.”

It was the first time Twilight had heard Legend like this-- there was a hint of childlike wonder laced in his voice, mixed with his rough tone.

“Isn’t it?”

“Don’t toot your own horn.”

Laughter filled the clearing as Twilight leaned over and picked up another set. Pale pinks, sky blues, and white flowers sat in his palm.

“Huh-- my flag--?”

Twilight pressed them into Legend’s hands with a nod.

“Yours. Try it.”

He stared at them in surprise and confusion.

“I- I don’t know how to start it or--”

“Just follow me.”

“Uh… alright.”

Nodding, Twilight picked up another set of flowers, with almost a rainbow of colors-- red, blue, green, purple, and black roses, resting on dark grey, white, lavender, and light yellow. 

“Four…”

“Yep. Alright, here we go. One. Over two. Under three. Next to four.”

Legend nodded to Twilight’s instructions, watching his fingers carefully. They were like water as they moved, flowing through the steps smoothly and fluidly.

“Like this,” the older hero said, setting his incomplete crown down and reaching over, gripping Legend’s hands in his. “One.”

“One?”   
  
“Over two.”

“U-Under three, right?”

“Yes. Then next to four. Just like that. Try it.”

Nodding, the younger hero tried again, slowly going through the simple steps. Clumsily, he managed to thread three stems together, albeit messily with the ends poking out.

“It… doesn’t look good.”

“It takes practice to make really good crowns. You’re doing perfectly fine,” Twilight said reassuringly, smiling at the flowers in Legend’s hand.

“You sure…?”   
  
“Completely. Now, the next few. Try to tie it up in a circle.”

“Okay.”

One by one, flower by flower, Legend started weaving. Twilight picked up his own, unfinished one, and started to finish up, putting together a bright crown of roses, adorned with the other, faded colors. 

“I think… this is good.”

Twilight glanced over and smiled at the sight. Legend held out his crown with a satisfied nod.

A brighter, larger pink flower rested next to the smaller, less fancy flowers. Twilight blinked and examined the outlier carefully.

“A hibiscus?”

“...Yeah. A girl I knew liked it, and I… I guess I started liking them too.”

The older hero’s face softened at the other’s words as he placed down his finished wreath.

“Care to talk…?”   
  


Legend was silent, gingerly setting down his crown. 

“...I’ll never see her again. It… was my fault.”

He smiled bitterly, reaching over to the pile of darker flowers-- purples, whites, greys, and greens. 

“...I wish we didn’t have to have that in common,” Twilight responded with a short laugh, picking up a pile of rainbows-- hues of all kinds mixed together in a bundle. “But- unfortunately, we do.”

Legend raised an eyebrow, grasping purple and white. 

“Continue?”   
  
Twilight shook his head, tying red, orange, and yellow together. 

“It’s a wound for another day. Why don’t we finish these up and head back to camp-- I’m sure they’re waiting.”

“...Alright.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“We’re back!!’

“Do you really need to be so dramatic?”

“Oh, hey guys!”

Twilight and Legend stepped into the open, their wreaths hidden in their pouches.

“Did anything happen?” Time asked, staring at Legend’s almost gleeful expression before realizing it wasn’t the best idea to question it.

“Well--”

“Nothing really happened, Legend just happened to find me on my walk.”

Legend nodded along, risking a look at Twilight. Blank, except for a smile.

_ How did he fib so easily? _

“Mostly uneventful,” he chimed in, shaking his head. “Just had what was like a talk.”

Eventually the group dispersed, the night settling in. Twilight, like always, had volunteered to take first watch.

But Legend joined him, which was… a surprise. 

“You’re joining me tonight?”

“I guess.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The fire cast a warm glow on the still camp. 

Twilight glanced at Legend, who was staring into the fire, stroking the petals on his crown.

“Hey, can you hand me the ones you made earlier?”

“Sure, why?”

He felt himself smiling as Legend handed him the colorful wreaths of flowers, shadows of the petal dancing on the floor as he slipped his arms through the middle.

“Not much.”

With a grunt, Twilight stood up and dusted himself off with his free hand. He did his best to push down the feeling reminiscent of excitement, but he could still feel his smile stretching into a grin.

“You sure about that, farm boy?”

A hum escaped this throat as he stepped down next to Wild. He kneeled down next to the sleeping hero and raised the crown with the Silent Princess. 

Slowly, he lowered it down onto Wild’s head, adjusting it lightly before taking a step back. A few moments of fiddling with the slate later, he raised it up to his eye level and pressed the screen.

“Are you taking pictures of him--”

“Yes, I am,” Twilight said with a fond smile, moving over to Time. “This-- this won’t go wrong.”

“Try not to wake him.”

He huffed out a laugh and picked out the yellow, blue, and pink one, slipping it around Time’s head. 

The goddesses were merciful-- Time maintained his peaceful sleep with the addition of a crown. 

With a snap, the picture uploaded to the slate.

Soon enough, Legend joined in, if not just to mess around with Hyrule’s hair and crown before placing the black, green, and purple shades down on his head. 

“Ain’t that sweet.”

“Shut it, Twi.”

Laughing quietly, the ranch hand placed the colorful roses on Four, a pale, colorful crown with white fitted in between on Wind, Time’s with a large, bluish purple violet on the side on Warriors, a rainbow with pink, yellow, and blue on Sky.

“That’s it, huh?” Legend said, sitting down next to the fire. He placed his own crown upon his head and smirked. 

“A king, huh?”

With a click, Twilight snapped a picture of Legend with that crown, snorting at the indignant expression he gave him.

“You were almost asking for it.”

“...Fair.”

Grinning victoriously, Twilight returned to Wild’s side, dropping the Sheikah Slate where it had been previously. 

“Where’s your crown?”

“My crown?”

“Did you not make one for yourself?”

Twilight nodded slowly, raising an eyebrow. 

“What’s your point?”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Ah-- no particular reason.”

“Really…?”

The ranch hand just shrugged with what was almost a smile.

“It’s a… wound for another day.”

Legend huffed a short laugh as Twilight stood up, stretching tiredly.

“Two hours past shift, Time’s not gonna be happy. I’m gonna wake up Hyrule, care to sleep?”

“...Why not.”

A relieved expression crossed Twilight’s face for a moment before he moved to the traveler, shaking him gently to get him up.

With the crown still on his head, they switched out. 

“Night, Legend.”

“Night, Twilight. And…”

Legend smiled softly, almost bashful.

“Thank you.”

Twilight didn’t need to answer, as Legend had already slipped off to bed.

  
  


(In the morning the others would find the crowns and the pictures and call the two out, but that was a story for another time.)

**Author's Note:**

> i hope i did them justice ehe  
> i'm not good at synonyms, so if it was repetitive i'm sorRY


End file.
